brain matters in southern africa - wits university held in johannesburg. in partnership with three...
TRANSCRIPT
Sahba Besharati, Phumlani
Khoza and Tanya Calvey are
researchers in neuropsychology,
machine learning and neuroscience,
respectively. They have been inspired
to collaborate, stimulate interest and
build capacity in an interdisciplinary
neuroscience project to bring
together students, early-career
academics and established scholars.
Phumlani Khoza, intrigued by
complexity science and machine
learning, is passionate about the
new frontiers that neuroscience
opens. “There is much to learn from
the brain as far as engineering,
fundamental science, and
philosophy is concerned. The
different perspectives that each sub-
field contributes are important for
understanding certain phenomena
and so the higher the diversity in
perspectives the better we can piece
together the overall picture”.
Tanya Calvey is a neuroscientist
in the Wits School of Anatomical
Sciences. She stresses the variety
of technologies and research
techniques amongst disciplines
needed to understand the brain.
”There are not enough years in
one’s life to master all the skills and
knowledge. Yet all this knowledge is
required if we are to make progress
in the field”.
Neuropsychologist Sahba
Besharati says “traditionally
neuroscience was classified as a
biological science. It has progressed
into a dynamic interdisciplinary field
that encompasses disciplines like
psychology, philosophy, medicine,
computer sciences, mathematics and
linguistics, in the scientific pursuit to
understand the brain and cognition”.
In 2017 the three researchers
initiated the Brain Matters seminar
series held in Johannesburg.
In partnership with three other
entities, the DST-NRF Centre of
Excellence in Human Development
is supporting this ground-breaking
project to stimulate southern African
conversations and the regional
development of neuroscience.
Brain Matters
Connecting disciplines to contribute to neuroscience in southern Africa
Neuroscience is burgeoning on the back of accelerating technology. Given that neuropsychiatric disorders account for the second-largest proportion of the burden of disease in South Africa,this provides southern African scholars with a unique opportunity to contribute to neuroscientific advances. Three researchers at the University of the Witwatersrand are taking advantage of this opportunity, with support from the CoE-HUMAN, and building connections across their disciplines.
DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Human Development
Individual and Society
www.wits.ac.za/coe-human
2nd Floor, School of Public Health, University of the WitwatersrandYork Road, Parktown, Johannesburg 2193, South Africa
Director: Professor Linda Richter
www.facebook.com/CoEHuman twitter.com/CoEHuman
… neuroscience has progressed into a dynamic interdisciplinary field that encompasses disciplines like psychology, philosophy, medicine, computer sciences, mathematics and linguistics …